Title
Resolution in Support of the Do Not Stand Idly By Campaign
Staff
Reviewed by: City of Ann Arbor Council Policy Committee
Sponsored by: Councilmember Warpehoski
Body
Whereas, More than 33,000 people per year in the United States have been killed with firearms in recent years;
Whereas, According to a 2016 research published in The American Journal of Medicine a resident of the United States is 25 times as likely to be murdered with a gun than is a resident of other advanced nations;
Whereas, Americans from across the political spectrum agree that our nation should strive to reduce the number of our neighbors who are killed or injured with firearms or terrorized by gun-related crime;
Whereas, The companies that manufacture and distribute firearms have the ability to take actions that will reduce the incidence of gun-related crimes and accidental shootings in the United States;
Whereas, These actions - including improvements and innovations in gun-safety technologies and distribution practices - can be taken voluntarily by these companies and without the slightest harm to the established rights of Americans to own and use firearms;
Whereas, In a growing number of municipalities, counties and states across the nation - more than 100 jurisdictions to date - public officials and law enforcement leaders have taken steps to initiate dialogue with leading gun manufacturers about these actions;
Whereas, These public-sector leaders and their jurisdictions are customers of the gun industry, purchasing firearms for the purpose of equipping law enforcement officers in order to protect public safety;
Whereas, The public sector collectively represents a significant share of the marketplace for guns and ammunition in the United States; and
Whereas, Religious and civic leaders, public officials and law enforcement officials across the nation have created the “Do Not Stand Idly By” campaign to use the collective purchasing power of the public sector to encourage life-saving innovation in the gun industry; and
RESOLVED, That the City Council of Ann Arbor, MI directs the Mayor and City Administrator to participate in this nationwide effort by taking the following actions:
• Adding their names, as representatives of Ann Arbor, to the Request for Information being submitted to leading firearms manufacturers from more than 100 public-sector jurisdictions seeking information about the companies’ gun-safety technologies and distribution practices.
• Taking additional steps as they see fit to encourage leadership within the gun industry in the improvement of distribution practices and the development of new safety technologies, such as:
o Testing and evaluating existing gun-safety technologies - including “smart guns” - as well as new technologies as they become available.
o Developing purchasing practices and specifications that maximize the public safety benefits achieved through Ann Arbor’s firearms purchases.
o Collaborating with peers in other jurisdictions in these efforts.
RESOLVED, That we call upon the leaders of the gun manufacturers that receive the Request for Information from Ann Arbor and other jurisdictions across the United States to respond in writing to the “Do Not Stand Idly By” campaign and participating jurisdictions; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator forward certified copies of this resolution to the chief executive officers of Glock, SIG Sauer, Beretta, Smith & Wesson, Colt, Remington, and Sturm, Ruger & Co.